Blacklegged Tick (Ixodes scapularis):Also known as the deer tick, blacklegged ticks are notorious for transmitting Lyme disease, an illness caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. They are commonly found in wooded areas and tall grasses, where they wait for a host to pass by. American D...
With the start of summer, more time outdoors can mean a higher danger of tick bites— including the risk of a tick-borne illness that is linked to an allergy to red meat. For Craig Smith of Cream Ridge, New Jersey, an onset of severe symptoms led him to see multiple doctors until a...
The most prominent Lone Star Tick disease is STARI (southern tick-associated rash illness), which may cause symptoms that mimic Lyme Disease and lead to false diagnoses. If bitten by this white-dotted (hence, "lone star") tick, you can develop a rash, a bullseye pattern on the site of ...
Research suggests that sleeping less than six hours per night can increase the risk of chronic illness and shorten your lifespan. Among these include heart disease and diabetes. Some studies even indicate that too little sleep can increase your risk of dementia as an older adult. On the ...
Related: Why don't ticks die of Lyme disease? People can also catch zoonotic diseases through consuming contaminated food. Eating undercooked meat or eggs, or eating unwashed produce that's contaminated with animal feces can lead to illness from germs carried by an animal. Drinking raw, unpasteu...
Ticks can also transmit more than one disease at the same time. "In the Northeast, there are at least four tick-borne infections that you can get simultaneously from the same tick," Wormser said. This nymph represents one stage of the tick life cycle.(Image credit: Getty Images) ...
Ehrlichiosis.This flu-like bacterial illness spreads through the bite of lone star and blacklegged ticks in the midwestern, south-central, and eastern U.S. Typical symptoms include fever, chills, headache, and muscle soreness. A few days later, some people get a cough, nausea, stomach pain,...
Brown recluse spiders are extremely poisonous, and their bug bites can cause infection and illness. They are found mostly in the Midwestern and Southeastern U.S. They are yellowish-tan to dark brown in color with darker legs that are about one inch in length. They have a characteristic violin...
and Oklahoma. Illness caused by ticks and insects is most common in the summer months and often occurs in children. Disease caused in winter is associated with hunters who handle dead animals.F. tularensiscan infect many types of animals but particularly affects rabbits, hares, and rodents. The...
‘We know certain strains can cause an illness that mimics other diseases,’ says Lyme researcher Elizabeth Maloney. ‘But we can’t yet test for specific strains. So if someone has chronic symptoms, we don’t know if they’re still infected, their immune system is in overdrive or they...